Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-08-21

J his hopes encouraged oy a knowledge Ct
his great wealth, his superior position,
aud that worship of the golden, which he
saw daily pTacticed IN the circle amid
! which he moved.
al shall be content to walt-not year,"
he added, coloring as he thought of the
years he had attained to; "but until l
can win your love at last"
at may not bet cannot BET" said
Melan!e, in tremulous voice, as she cast
down her eyes and felt her engagement
ring under her glove-not that she need
ed to gather courage or a power of re-
sistance therefrom. "And see, Sir
Brisco, people are approaching. Here
comes Miss Tremayne already"
"Allow me,' said Sir Brisco, Offering
, his arm.
But Melsnie ignored IT, He bowed low
and turned almost sadly away, but not
before ne could overhear Hilda say laugh
lngly to smart young fellow in gey
| tennis suit, who escorted her:
"Of course, Miss Smith-or Smythe, as
she calls heTself-is goose! If | have g
supreme horror in this world, it is to see
a girl marrying g man old enough 20 be
her father. And for what? The sake Of
money"
CHAPTER Haunt CHILLINGTON
The last carriage had rolled away
through the lodge gates, the guests were
gone, the brilliant tete was over and
visions of her Aunt Chil!ington's ami
madversions and censures, uttered in
clear and shrill staccato English, and
those Of her guardian, Uncle Grimshaw,
in the background, rose up to torture
Melanie.
Better, she thought, any Illuminating
occupation, il hOnest-teaching, tele.
graphy, companionshir-than undergo
ing the lectures OF either; but for what
was she fitted?
She had been openly and selfshly
warned by both to "mske good use of the
opportunities" her aunt's invitation ef-
forded her and one of the ways in which
she had done so was to decline the pro-
posal of the wealthy old baronet.
Thoroughly would Melanie have en-
jOyed her season in London with Aunt
ChilIington, but for one feature in the
piCture-the baronet; and even the
society of Montague Lonsdsle was almost
unable to compensate her for the ennoy-
anCe it enteiled.
She had revelled in the gay, wonderful
streets; the sunny park; the Row, with
its brilliant show OF fine equipages and
beautiful women: the fOur-in-hand meet
by the Serpentine, the troopirg Of the
colors at the Horse Guards; the grand
old Abbey and pOnderOuS ST. Paal's; the
ladies' gallery in the House, with it's gro
tesque screen of brass wire; the opera
and balls without number; and now ali
was over for her, and, like Cinderella, she
was going to a somewhat sordid home
s0rdid, at least, as compared with Chill
ington park-Where she knew she would
be unWelCOme, too; out where she hoped,
st least, to be beyond the ken Of Sir BrisCO
/ BraybroOke for time-if only for e time.
Glove is no love if it comes not ct
once" says q poet, end in her first meet
ing with Montague LonsdsIe the whole
tenor of her young life was changed at
once-2nd his too, for that matter, for
though he mad seen and known many
beautiful and attractive women, the
meeting with Melanie vas the first in
which he had looked into q girls eyes
and felt that magnetic influence which
rendered him almost unable 70 take his
own gaze away.
Even for the rich dresses, for street
and row and ballroom, she was indebted
10 her aunt, but for magnificent fans and
bouquets to Captain Lonsdale, Sir BriscO,
eud other admirers, some Of whom had
even lost little bets TO her at Ascot anG
/ Goodwood, in the most graceful way
Observation-Disclosures which she blushed to
win, though she saw Hide Tremayne anG
Others. do so without conjunction.
The most rural Of lanes-those lovely
lanes which are SO peculiarly Enghsn-
led from every side to the f&ir white
manor house of Chillington, on the sum
nit of grassy slope, where few Orna
mental deer might be seen grazing witt
the sunlight falling On their sleek enc
dappled coats.
over q stately terrace, as plateau,
with carved stone vases full OF brilliant
flowers, was the house, with It's peristylt
of four Corinthisu columns, nearly forty
feet in height, with rich entablature
and pediment, in the tympanum Of which
were the gTilIin's heads and three oys-
tiers, scalloped, quarterly, being the arm:
of Alderman Chillington, city magnatC
of the early days of George Ill, the frs
founder OF the family.
Evidences of wealth and luxury were
apparent on every hand. The house i:
famous for q saloon, on the ceiling o.
which is an immense painting of Aurora
[ copied from that of Guido in the Respi
glori Palace; succeed dining room
wherein Admirals Pocock and Keppel hat
been feasted, after the bombardment o
Havannah; and all manner of handsome
things in the guest room, corridors anC
staircase; and a wonderful blue drawing
room, with curios, the collection of tn
Alderman's descendants, who, in tast,
and education, surpassed himself, c.
course.
To the blue drawing room, then, Me
lsnie wss solemly summoned by her Aun
Chilllngton, after the guests had depart
ed, and with beating heart the girl en-
tered what was q species Of tortur
chamber TO her.
There Aunt Chillington had seated heI
self, as if in judgment on throne, on
blue satin ottoman in the very centre o
the room, and slowly tanning herself en-
/ looking as grim as Medusa, as she pre-
pared to eXpound the law to the shrink
: ing Melanle.
One Of Mrs. Chillington's chief aims il
+ life vas to be deemed the best Gresset
woman of her set. She was tall, slender
and aristocratic in bearing, and actuall
handsome, though past her siXtleth year
but the world had gone very essily an,
) luXuriously with her in her wifehoOd en-
widowhood. She waS inordinstely prou,
z of her birth as Talbot, and, as & sup
posed descendant of that Richard de Tai
{ bot whom the Domesdsy Book records q
, holding nine pieces Of land from Waite
] of Buckingham, was somewhat inclined
} to undervalue the family into which sh
] had married, though for money. She wa
{ also nrGud of her small hands and fee,